


Bittersweet Biscuit Sticks

by NipChip



Series: Team Timewalker Bites [2]
Category: Blinx (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Pocky is life, Pocky is love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-12 18:09:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17472431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NipChip/pseuds/NipChip
Summary: Keiko wouldn't be back for a little while, so Stuart takes the opportunity to learn about his friends' love lives (or lack thereof) and perhaps confront the tuxedo cat on his less than platonic feelings for their leader in the process.





	Bittersweet Biscuit Sticks

It starts, as many of these conversations do when Keiko is off doing an errand.

“Have you guys dated anyone before?”

There’s a pause, and Ian and Christopher looked up from their snacks to stare at their red-furred friend leaning against the other side of the kitchen counter. Ian stared with wide eyes, a strawberry biscuit stick part way to his open mouth while Christopher indifferently popped a potato chip into his mouth.

“Why?” Ian finally asked when the silence becomes a bit unbearable.

Stuart leaned back from the counter as he ripped open a chocolate bar. “I know that both of you are single right now. We wouldn’t be hanging out as much as we do if you had girlfriends or even boyfriends to go to.”

Ian and Christopher glanced at each other. They weren’t particularly keen on this conversation, but Stuart took every opportunity to ‘banter with the boys’ when Keiko wasn’t around so there wasn’t much option except to entertain him until their leader came back.

“There was one girl,” Christopher started. “We were both young and I wanted to be a Time Sweeper, so it didn’t last long. Left home soon after we broke up and haven’t dated since.”

It was Stuart’s turn to be surprised. “Really? I thought you would have tons of girls interested in you.”

“Hm? Why’s that?”

Stuart stared at him intently. “Dude, you’re tall, mysterious and kind of broody. That’s the perfect recipe for handsome right there. Girls dig that.”

“You seem to be forgetting that there have been numerous Time Sweepers that ran faster than a Piitama when they saw me,” Christopher said dryly.

“They don’t know you like we do Christopher,” Ian reassured. “Even though you can be intimidating when you want to be, you’re always collected even when things get tough.” Ian’s eyes sparkled in admiration. “I think anyone would be lucky to have someone as cool and reliable as you.”

“I, uh, thanks?” Christopher averted his gaze and rubbed his neck awkwardly, effectively hiding the upturned corners of his mouth.

Stuart crossed his arms in satisfaction, a smirk growing on his face. “See, Ian gets it. You should get yourself a girlfriend, stat.”

Christopher turned back and gave Stuart a pointed look. “Well, what about you then?”

The smirk morphed into a full grin. “I’m glad you asked!”

The red-furred cat dramatically threw an arm over his forehead and Ian could see he even stuck out his legs. “I, despite being as alluring as I am, have never dated anyone in my entire life!”

Ian inhaled half his orange juice and choked on it. Christopher thumped him hard on the back.

Stuart howled in laughter. “I know, shocking isn’t it?”

Ian wiped his lips with his glove. “Sorry, that just caught me off guard. I thought that because you brought this topic up that you’ve dated before.”

Stuart passed a napkin to Ian across the counter. “Nah, I have no experience whatsoever.”

Christopher scoffed. “I can think of a few reasons why that’s the case.”

Stuart gasped. “Christopher! I thought you were my friend! I brought snacks for you and everything and this is how you treat me!”

Christopher chose to ignore the flustered cat and grabbed the box of biscuit sticks instead.

Stuart gasped even louder. Stuart whipped his head towards Ian, startling him with sudden eye contact. “You don’t think the same too, right?!” Stuart cried in obvious feigned shock.

“W-well,” Ian stammered. “You always know how to have fun and be carefree. You can also be brave when the situation calls for it. It helps you’re not bad looking either, red fur suits you. I’m sure you’ll find that special someone one day and whoever that person is will be glad they chose you... yeah…”

The tuxedo cat fidgeted with his fingers nervously as Stuart’s gaze bore into him, before being tackled by a red and white blur and almost falling off his chair.

“Ian you’re so sweet I could fucking kiss you!” Stuart declared. “You’re a good friend!”

“Don’t kiss him,” Christopher said, raising his hand and wiggling his fingers.

Ian sighed as Stuart buried his head into his neck, making ridiculous purring sounds all the while. It was kind of cute, but Ian was too anxious to admit it right now.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten you dude,” Stuart said, lifting his head from his friend’s shoulder. “Got any ex’s? Traumatic breakup stories?”

The tuxedo cat shrunk as though to hide in his jacket. “That’s…I haven’t…”

Stuart suddenly sobered up and gave Ian a knowing look. “Perhaps I should be asking… if there’s anyone you like right now.”

Christopher glared daggers, his pupils contracting. “Stuart this is not the time to- “

“No, it’s fine,” Ian quickly said. He smiled weakly when Christopher was still visibly tense. “Really, it’s okay.”

The red-furred cat straightened up and gripped Ian’s shoulders. “When are you going to tell her? Tell Keiko how you feel.”

Ian smiled sadly, unable to meet Stuart’s eyes. “I can’t.”

“Why not?” Stuart whined, ears flickering in frustrated confusion.

“I can’t because… she’s my best friend and she if doesn’t feel the same way, then I don’t know what I’ll do.”

Stuart wasn’t having any of it. “You’re kidding me, right? It’s _so_ obvious Keiko has a thing for you too.”

“But what if she doesn’t? What if you’re wrong?” Ian sighed, grasping Stuart’s hands and lowering them from his shoulders. “I’m okay with the way things are now. Ruining our friendship is the last thing I’d ever want to do.”

Christopher swivelled on his chair to face Ian, a biscuit stick sticking out of his mouth. “Ian’s right to be worried. You have to be prepared to have the friendship change or lose it completely once you confess your feelings.”

The other two cats remain silent, so Christopher kept going. “Don’t just dump your feelings on her, approach the topic casually and give her time to process her feelings in response.”

“Yeah, just ask her out on a date!” Stuart encouraged, once again grabbing Ian’s shoulders and shaking him in his seat.

“But, I’m not even that special,” Ian retorted bitterly. “Right now, I feel like an absolute coward.”

“Hey, that’s my friend you’re talking about so you should stop talking shit before I punch you,” Stuart threatened, adding a wide grin.

“If it means anything” Christopher cuts in, “you can say I’m wrong all you want but you’re a good guy. Kind, caring and supportive, more than anyone could ever ask for in a partner. Plus, you’re cute, at least Keiko thinks so.”

“Really fucking cute as she puts it,” Stuart added.

Ian hummed, unconvinced.

“And hey, if it doesn’t work out, you have my shoulder to cry on.” Stuart chirped. “I don’t like seeing your stupid face all sad and stuff.”

Ian gave a small smile and chuckled, his voice a little lighter. “Thanks guys.”

“No problem Black Butt.”

Ian smiled a little wider. “Only Keiko can call me Black Butt.”

“I’ve seen your butt, I’ll call you Black Butt if I want, Black Butt,” Stuart teased.

“…Black Butt,” said Christopher.

Ian’s face scrunched up. “Not you too.”

Stuart sniggered. “You should be thankful that Christopher’s butt isn’t black too because that would be confusing.”

Christopher hummed, turning back to the biscuit sticks, uninterested in the topic of his own behind.

Stuart threw an arm around Ian’s shoulders and drew him to his side. “With me around, you’ll definitely get that date.”

“Who’s getting a date with who?”

Keiko stood in the doorway, holding a file folder to her chest. She was away submitting a progress report for the team to the administration.

Stuart spluttered while Ian’s cheeks were becoming a bright shade of red. “C-Christopher’s wants to get a date with one of the nurses! Yup!”

“I never said that, and I don’t need your help anyway.” Christopher countered, still not looking up from his snacks.

Keiko tilted her head in confusion. “Okay then?”

Keiko sauntered to the group and placed the folder on the counter. She eyed the red and tuxedo cat pair with curious amusement, before wrapping both her arms around Christopher’s neck and slumped against his back, head on his shoulders. “So tired…” she mumbled.

Christopher grunted under the extra weight but made no attempt to move. The light blush spread across the black cat’s face was not missed by the opposite pair, who were staring at the sight with horrified faces.

Pretending not to notice the gawking the other two were making, Christopher grabbed the unopened packet of cookies and lifted them up. “Here, cookies.”

“Thanks.” Keiko murmured, unfolding her arms to grab and open the packet while still slumped on her friend’s shoulders.

Ian shook Stuart’s offending arm off his shoulders. “S-so! Did you finish doing all the paperwork?”

“Yeah, it was a pain in the butt to do but it’s done.”

Christopher snorted.

“Paperwork aside, what have you boys been doing while I was gone? Giving relationship advice I presume.” Keiko joked, chewing on her cookie.

“So what if we were?” Stuart taunted.

“Well, sorry to say but with me around getting a girlfriend is definitely not on the table for you guys.”

“Y-yeah,” Ian muttered.

Keiko turned her head towards Ian and gave a wolfish grin. “Especially you. Any cat you date has to go through me first.” She winked and stuck out her tongue.

Ian flushed red again, the blush reaching to the tips of his ears. “Okay…” he finally managed.

Stuart shook his head in disappointment. “Idiots, the both of you.”

Christopher looked with mild amusement as Keiko and Stuart started a round of playful teasing, all the while Ian doing his best to not combust in his seat.

The black cat bit into the last biscuit stick, its artificial strawberry taste sweet on his tongue.

Idiots, the whole lot of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Goodness when will these guys stop eating all the time?
> 
> Thank you for reading till the end! Being a newbie writer I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read my work, as unpolished as it still is.
> 
> It's an improvement on the [previous Timewalker piece](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15348816) I think, being a few hundred words longer and more fleshed out of a story. The story went to some unexpected places but I achieved my goal of exploring the Timewalker dynamic but if Keiko was out of the picture (at least physically) and delving into Ian's insecurities. Here's to hoping for more improvement in the next story!


End file.
